Is Extremism Political, Religious, or Political/Religious?
Atheist author and blogger Dan Arel as recently written that he was wrong in his previous response to the critiques of Islam by “new atheists” such as Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/10/i-was-wrong-about-new-atheism-sam-harris-and-islam/?ref_widget=popular&ref_blog=secularfrontier&ref_post=six-findings-from-experimental-science-which-disconfirm-theism To admit in public that one was wrong requires a greater commitment to honesty and truth than to ego, and this is rare. … Is Extremism Political, Religious, or Political/Religious?
Does the Brain Construct Reality?
PBS is hosting a series on the brain, appropriately titled The Brain hosted by Rice University Neuroscientist David Eagleman. I watched the first episode last week and found it highly informative and entertaining. People have wondered what scientific achievements of the 21st Century could rival those of the 20th Century—relativity theory, quantum physics, DNA and … Does the Brain Construct Reality?
Please Excuse me from the Francis-Frenzy
I was watching the NBC Evening News a couple of nights ago as it covered the arrival of Pope Francis I. The allegedly objective reporter referred to the Pope not as “The Pope” or as “Pope Francis,” but as “The Holy Father” and “His Holiness.” Is NBC now CBS–The Catholic Broadcasting System? Would any imam or … Please Excuse me from the Francis-Frenzy
Divine Commands and Informative Identity
Last week I had an exchange with Matthew Flannagan on divine command theory (DCT) in the comments section of the post “Does William Lane Craig Actually Believe in Evil?” I raised some standard Euthyphro-type objections and asked for his response. He graciously replied even though he has treated the topic in much greater depth and … Divine Commands and Informative Identity
Darwin the Philosopher
I have noted several unfortunate statements by scientists, some of whom I deeply respect, expressing disdain for philosophy. Their view, apparently, is that if you have science you have no need for philosophy. This attitude is doubly unfortunate. First, it betrays considerable ignorance, and, second, when scientists reject philosophy, they really, really should avoid philosophical … Darwin the Philosopher
Craig on Appeals to Common Sense
Here is something written by a reader who asked not to be further identified. I think he makes a good point and raises the interesting question of when appeals to common sense are reasonable and when they are not. The author begins by commenting on a reply made to me by Craig in our 1998 … Craig on Appeals to Common Sense
Atheist Revival Meeting
Folks, it has come to my attention that some other atheists on other sites are indicating that we here at SO are not real atheists. We may even be crypto-Christians who appear in atheist guise to delude the unfaithful. So, I and Jeff and Bradley—and you atheists who frequently comment, like Scott, Ryan, and PDH—are … Atheist Revival Meeting
New Fossil Proves Genesis!
A new fossil discovery supports the Genesis account that snakes had legs before God cursed them for enticing Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit: http://conservativetribune.com/fossil-proof-of-bibles-story/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=TPNNPages&utm_content=2015-07-28 Call me a nitpicker, but I am still not satisfied! After all, the serpent that “tempted” Eve was also quite loquacious, and not only loquacious, but, according to Genesis, … New Fossil Proves Genesis!
Skeptical Theism and Evil Genius Arguments
When I debated William Lane Craig at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas in 1998, we also had an exchange in the Dallas Morning News on the problem of evil. Here is a key quote from Craig’s statement: “We aren’t in a good position to assess with confidence the probability (or improbability) of whether God has … Skeptical Theism and Evil Genius Arguments
Christianity: The Good Stuff
Naturally, an atheist site like this SO often focuses on the bad stuff about Christianity. Digging up the dirt is easy since, after 2000 years of Christian history, there are tons and tons of it just lying around ready to be shoveled. It is important to remember, however, that for all the holy warriors, fanatics, … Christianity: The Good Stuff